July 20th, 2006 The president of Limter-İş, the Dock Workers’ Union, Cem Dinç and the Education Secretary Kamber Saygılı who had led the Desan Shipyards strike and had been arrested after the bosses demanded their detention have been released on the first hearing of the trial. The massive demonstrators chanted “Let the Arrested Unionists go […]
July 20th, 2006
The president of Limter-İş, the Dock Workers’ Union, Cem Dinç and the Education Secretary Kamber Saygılı who had led the Desan Shipyards strike and had been arrested after the bosses demanded their detention have been released on the first hearing of the trial.
The massive demonstrators chanted “Let the Arrested Unionists go Free!” as they turned the Tuzla courthouse into a rally ground.
Union member and democratic organization members who supported the arrested union officials started gathering in front of the courthouse at 10:00AM. The crowd started chanting and clapping in support while waiting for Cem Dinç and Kamber Saygılı to be brought from the jailhouse.
The workers of DESAN Ship Works also came in mass to the trial to join other unionists. Cem Dinç and Kamber Saygılı had been arrested while giving support to the DESAN Ship Works labor struggle.
When it was announced that only a limited number of observers would be allowed to attend the trial, Limter-İş member Hakkı Demirağ said, “This trial is a trial of those who struggle against the slavery conditions. We will defend our union and the officials to the end.”
The trial was scheduled for 10:00AM, but the security forces could not bring the defendants to the courthouse until 3:00PM that afternoon, so the trial was postponed to that time. Cem Dinç in his remarks to the judge said he was a unionist and he was the president of the Dock Workers’ Union, Limter-İş, and it was only natural for him to support the struggle of the workers organized under the union. He denied all the allegations against him but had a countercharge that while being arrested he was the victim of violence.
Kamber Saygılı, the education secretary of the union, started his defense by renouncing the violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestine and Lebanon. He denied all the accusations against him. He only accepted the event place and time, but denied every other allegation. He demanded all charges against him to be dropped.
Ali Doğan, a shipyard worker was called as a witness and was heard. The trial was adjourned to August 19th while the defendants were freed.
